USA

Chicago commuters returned to downtown subway stations Wednesday morning, a day after an eight-car train derailed and sparked a tunnel fire that injured more than 150 people in one of the city's few underground stretches of subway line. As many as 1,000 people were aboard when the train, heading to O'Hare Airport, derailed shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, and material under the train caught fire, said Chicago Transit Authority President Frank Kruesi. Law-enforcement officials said there was no indication of foul play or terrorism. The downtown Blue Line stations reopened Wednesday, but with delays.

America's trade deficit rose in May as the price of imported oil jumped by the largest amount since the 1990 run-up to the first Iraq war. The Commerce Department reported that the trade imbalance rose by 0.8 percent to $63.8 billion compared, with a revised April deficit of $63.3 billion. The increase represents the sixth-largest deficit in US history. Economists are predicting that the trade deficit will worsen in the coming months, reflecting more increases in world oil prices.

Colorado Republican Gov. Bill Owens cut a deal with Democratic leaders over an illegal immigration law. The law would deny some state services to illegal immigrants and would punish employers who hire them, The Washington Post reported. Congressional leaders in Washington have identified illegal immigration as a key concern of the current session, but it is unlikely that any bill will emerge from Congress before the November elections.

The government will soon be sending warnings of national emergencies on wireless phones, websites and hand-held computers. The new digital system will update the emergency alerts planned – but never used – during the Cold War in the event of a nuclear strike. The 21st-century technologies would carry warnings of natural disasters and terrorist attacks. The Homeland Security Department, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, expects to have the system working by the end of next year.